TriMet crews perform repairs to the Steel Bridge

In Portland, Ore., TriMet's Steel Bridge, which sees 559 MAX light-rail trains crossings each weekday, has had signal issues recently and crews have been working to identify and fix them.

During routine bi-monthly track walks, TriMet's maintenance-of-way crews noticed excessive wear along the west end of the bridge, coupled with an increasing number of short MAX service disruptions on the bridge.

Crews completed track repairs on the west end of the bridge during the past two weeks. This trackwork included excavating the asphalt around the rails and replacing joint bars.

As trackwork was completed, electrical components that were buried in the roadway on the bridge began to misfire. Crews identified problem locations and made repairs. This work will be further reinforced in the coming weeks when the permanent welds are put in place.